The main product of Chukrasia is its high quality timber and therefore the improvement objective is to maximize the production of timber from planted stands, on a per-year and per-hectare basis (or per-tree basis for trees not planted in conventional block plantings). A slightly different way of expressing this objective is to say that we wish to genetically improve Chukrasia so as to minimize the cost of producing timber from planted stands.
Selection criteria in the first generation of improvement are resistance to Hypsipyla shoot borers, increased wood volume production, and improved stem form. Improvement in wood properties affecting the quality and price of timber could be considered in second and subsequent generations of breeding.
Two options for Chukrasia improvement are suggested. The first strategy, shown diagrammatically in Figure 11, is for countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, where the replicated provenance trials established in 1999 will serve as founding populations for selection. The second strategy, shown in Figure 12, is for countries without existing provenance trials which have the capacity to set up pedigreed breeding populations for genetic improvement programs.
Figures 11 and 12 show the main activities to be undertaken and the approximate time scales.
Improved planting materials produced from seed-orchard seed and cuttings of field-tested, superior clones will be the outcomes of each breeding cycle.
Detailed breeding plans describing the operations step by step, and their timing, would have to be prepared for countries implementing genetic improvement programs. Such plans will vary between countries depending on factors such as the skills of available local staff, available financial resources and the range of target environments for which breeding is being conducted.
37
In Option 1, the provenance trials which were established in 1999 will provide a basis for selection of superior individuals (Hypsipyla resistance, fast growth and good stem form).
At around four years of age in 2003, the best 30 trees of each ecotype are selected for grafting into a clone bank. The clones are propagated for clonal testing on at least two sites in the target planting environments. Some clonal genotypes that are susceptible to Hypsipyla attack, and unselected seedlings, are included as controls in the clonal trials. As selection for Hypsipyla resistance is a major objective, the clone trials should be planted in areas where Hypsipyla shoot borers are known to be prevalent.
The best 10-15 clones could be selected for deployment in year 2007-08 provided their performance is clearly superior to that of the controls.
Selected trees assembled in the clone bank are also used to establish one or more clonal seed orchards. Following assessment of growth and insect damage and based on results from the clone trials, the clonal seed orchard(s) are rogued to remove inferior clones. The first seed collection is expected in year 2008 or 2009.
38 Year
100+ new families of best ecotype/species
■ Figure 11. Option 1: Basic improvement strategy for countries with existing provenance trials
In Option 2, for countries that have not yet established provenance trials, the individual family collections from range-wide provenance collections available at the Australian Tree Seed Centre will be used to set up breeding populations.
Approximately 150 families from superior provenances (based on information from existing provenance trials in adjacent countries) would be planted in provenance-progeny trials on at least 2-3 sites.
At least one trial would be converted to a seedling seed orchard by heavy, selective thinning. It would deliver somewhat improved seed within 6-8 years.
At about 4 years of age, the best 60 trees would be identified for grafting into a clone bank and subsequent clonal tests. As with Option 1, genotypes known to be susceptible to Hypsipyla shoot borers should be included in the clone trials. The best 10-15 field-tested clones are selected for deployment.
If feasible, superior field-tested clones from countries such as Thailand and Vietnam may be imported and included in the provenance-progeny trials and clone bank. Clonal seed orchards can be established from the material assembled in the clone bank.
Year 39
2003 150+ families of selected natural provenances
■ Figure 12. Option 2: Improvement strategy for countries without existing provenance trials
For both Options 1 and 2, the details of the second cycle of breeding will be determined after a review of the information obtained from the first cycle.
An important question that must be resolved is whether there is sufficient genotype-by-environment interaction to justify separate breeding populations for different target planting zones in the second generation.
Another fundamental question is whether the three ecotypes should be maintained together in a single breeding population, or whether they should be kept separate. Hybridisation between the ecotypes may produce superior individuals that could be
propagated clonally. Alternatively, hybridization may be undesirable. It is prudent to assume at this stage that hybridisation might not occur in open-pollinated breeding populations and seed orchards, and this must be taken into account when determining the genetic base; for example clonal seed orchards should include at least 20 individuals of a desired ecotype. Research to establish the genetic relationships between the ecotypes, whether or not they hybridise and consequences of any hybridisation is a high priority.
40
Efficient domestication requires two important ingredients.
Firstly, willing national and international collaboration so that essential resources can be brought to the task; this ranges from sharing the genetic resources of natural population and the capacity to establish and manage field trials, to facilities for coordination. Secondly, strategic plans are needed to guide the overall effort; these identify priorities and provide the framework for collaborative activity, and must be dynamic, evolving as the project progresses.
Much progress has been made in the development of a domestication strategy for Chukrasia with strong collaboration and support among the implementing research
agencies in Lao PDR, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Australia. It is important that the momentum developed during the past three years be maintained.
There is a good prospect that a successful domestication strategy for Chukrasia will overcome the problems which have limited the cultivation of the genus, and stimulate a wider interest in regenerating the depleting resource.
The lessons to be learned from the domestication of Chukrasia will have significant implications for other commercially-important indigenous tree species in South-east Asia.
Conclusions
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